Padfoot, Hermione, and More Lessons
by Hermione G. Potter1
Summary: My first UPLOADED fic, review please, this is just 1/100 of everything. Voldemort's back, so is wormtail, and Sirius and Hermione are especially worried. Hermione asks Sirius of a favour.
1. A Note From Mum...wait a sec...

After another stifling hour of sitting in the hot and humid Divination classroom, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley started walking down the twisting staircase, once again laughing at and annoyed with the class's events. Professor Trelawney had, ever since their first class, some how predicted that Harry was going to fall to great peril.  
  
"Do you realize she told me that I was going to die eight times today!" exclaimed Harry, "EIGHT!"  
  
"Yeah, it must be some kind of record. But at least were passing," Ron said thoughtfully, "I can't believe she's buying all the stuff we make up! I'm beginning to think Hermione's the smart one, taking Arithmancy instead."  
  
"Ron, Hermione is the smart one." Seeing her, "Speaking of."  
  
As they descended down the final steps of the colossal stairway, Harry saw Hermione Granger walking towards them, her arms, as usual, full of books for her various classes.  
  
"Hi guys, how was it today?" she asked with caution. During her third year at Hogwarts, the randomness and uncertainty of Divination had been part of the reason Hermione had been quite close to a nervous breakdown. Finally being too much for her, she had quit in the middle of a particularly bogus class and stormed out the door. Seeing the downcast looks on her friend's faces as their answer,  
  
"That bad? I keep telling you take Arithmancy instead of that class." She rolled her eyes just thinking of the Professor, who looked much like a overgrown insect, predicting false futures for her and her classmates.  
  
At this remark, both Harry and Ron started laughing. "What??" said Hermione, looking at them speciously, for their manner had significantly changed in a half second.  
  
"Nothing," Ron replied, still chuckling.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way into the Great Hall and sat down at the large Gryffindor table for their lunch. As they were helping themselves to a wide selection of sandwiches, a tan, ruffled owl, with many feathers missing, came fluttering down to where Hermione sat.  
  
For it was strange to see an owl delivering mail over any other meal but breakfast, Ron, with a quizzical look, asked,  
  
"Who's it from?" He then looked at the owl, unable to recognize it.  
  
"It's addressed from my mum," replied Hermione, although it definitely wasn't from Hermione's mother. Even though it was addressed from her, it unquestionably wasn't her handwriting, though it looked strangely familiar.  
  
Dear Hermione, I need you to sneak into Hogsmeade to see me. Preferably, not on a Hogsmeade weekend. There is something I wish to discuss with you, about Harry. I'm worried about him and his safety. Send your reply via this owl, he's mine. As a prefect, I see you having no trouble doing this, as you have done some sneaking around before.if you can manage it, 10:00 out by the Shrieking Shack.  
  
Sirius  
  
Hermione looked up from her letter. Sirius had never written her alone before, was something really wrong? Harry, seeing his friend's careful expression, interrupted her thoughts.  
  
" Everything all right Hermione?" he asked, looking at her with his bright green eyes that he had inherited from his mother.  
  
"Umm.yeah. My aunt's sick, that's all. Ate a funny whelk.Oh no!" she said thinking quickly, " I forgot my potions essay in the common room! See you in class!" She picked up her bag and ran out of the hall, holding the windswept owl carefully.  
  
"That was weird," remarked Ron, watching the doors close behind her.  
  
"Ron?" said Harry, who was absentmindedly playing with his food, "since when does Hermione's mum have an owl?"  
  
"I dunno" he replied, "She probably got one so she could write to Hermione during the term."  
  
"Oh right." Said Harry, shrugging his shoulders, as the conversation then turned to Quidditch.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione opened the door to the owlery and scribbled a letter back to Sirius.  
  
Dear Sirius,  
  
All right, 10:00 in front of the Shrieking Shack. I'll just borrow the cloak. I'll also bring some food; I trust you could need some.  
  
Hermione  
  
Attaching the note to Sirius' owl's skinny leg, she tried to think how she would ask Harry to borrow his father's Invisibility Cloak. " I'll just tell him that I forgot books in the library," she thought to herself, although she didn't like the idea of lying to one of her best friends. "And I fell asleep finishing my essay, it wont be too hard."  
  
As she made her way down to the Potions dungeon, she was caught behind a particularly giddy Lavender Brown and Parvati Patail gossiping. Wanting not to be dragged into their conversation, she slowed down her step.  
  
"Parvati, I don't want to sound stupid, but have you noticed that Harry has gotten to be, like, kinda cute?"  
  
"Of course I've noticed! Imagine, being married to the Famous Harry Potter!"  
  
"Yuck," thought Hermione, "Those tow, always talking about boys.and now Harry?" But then, they haven't been the only ones who noticed that Harry.grew over the past summer. At only fifteen, he was six feet tall, his face, not as round, but had more angle to it, like the pictures she had seen of his father. No longer the skinny boy he once was, four years of Quidditch training had made him quite muscular. "Stop it!" she thought to herself, again, before sitting down next to him. "He's your best friend!" Glancing over at him, she smiled, as Harry grinned back. No, no, no! You are not going to be crushing over him! She quickly turned her face away so he couldn't see her blushing.  
  
  
  
Thursday evening in the common room, Hermione glanced at her watch. It was eight thirty.  
  
"Harry?" she asked over a large pile of homework from the Professor Snape. "Can I borrow the Cloak? I forgot my Charms homework in the library."  
  
"Oh sure," he said, looking at her, "take the map too, it always helps." He winked.  
  
"Thanks," she said running up the staircase and turning into the boy's dormitories, blushing.  
  
"I saw that." Said Ron suddenly, staring at Harry over his potions essays.  
  
"Saw what?"  
  
"The way you were looking at her, no, staring at her all evening."  
  
Harry had to admit tit to himself. He was staring at her. NO longer a little skinny, bushy haired girl, although it was still frizzy, Hermione had grown in height, and other places as well. Harry grinned.  
  
"Ha! I knew you've grown fond of her!" he yelled loudly as Hermione ran back down the stairs.  
  
"Ron! Be quiet!" Harry whispered. "And don't say anything!" Ron grinned. 


	2. Into Hogsmeade

After Hermione had gotten a rather large bag of food from the kitchens, she walked quickly out onto the school grounds. In the moonlight, she could faintly see the squid under the surface of the lake and Hagrid's cabin, with the light out; she assumed that he was going into Hogs Head for a drink.  
  
"Lumos." She muttered to her wand and she took another look at the old map. She was safe, even though she was under the Invisibility Cloak, and continued walking. She approached the road that would take her into Hogsmeade, and she took one last look at the map before wiping it. While she was making sure no one was following her, a small dot labeled "Peter Pettigrew" streaked on and off the map behind the Whomping Willow. She was transfixed to the spot. "Oh my god." she said. She ran all the way up to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
As she neared the old shack, she threw off the cloak and said breathlessly to a giant black dog,  
  
"Sirius.Peter.on the map." They both ran all the way up the hill up into Sirius and Buckbeak's cave. After bowing quickly to the sleepy hippogriff, she turned to face a now human Sirius, who was looking extremely concerned.  
  
"Hermione, Peter?" He said taking her over to sit down on a log that had been conveniently been cut into a couch.  
  
" On the map.rushed on and then back off."  
  
" Damn it," he whispered, "I was afraid something like this would happen. That's why I asked you to come up here."  
  
"Do you think Voldemort's with him?" Hermione asked timidly, only recently taking up using You-Know-Who's real name.  
  
"Doubt it," said Sirius, looking at her, "Probably sending one of his pathetic little followers to spy for him." His voice was suddenly filled with hatred. " We'll talk as we go back to the school. We need to go to Dumbledore."  
  
" Right, okay, well, I brought you some food, it's in that bag." Her voice shook slightly. " We better go then." She said getting slowly off the makeshift couch. As she looked over at Sirius, she noticed how much healthier and more handsome he looked compared to when she last saw him last. She shook the thought quickly from her head.  
  
" Thanks 'Mione," Sirius said, leading her out of the dark cave, " I really appreciate it."  
  
Whoa, he thought to himself, were you just flirting with you Godson's best friend? No. As they walked, rather jogged, down the hill, Sirius explained what he wanted to talk to Hermione about.  
  
" I know that you are looking out for your sfety, as well as Harry and Ron's, but now, especially after tonight, I want you to be alert. You know as well as I that they won't take this as seriously. Even Harry, he's fifteen now, hormones raging, he won't always be careful." Hermione smiled. "And obviously, Harry won't tell me if something is wrong.you know, little minor things, so if anything happens, write to me. Believe me, he won't, only if its something really big." She remembered the previous year when Harry was selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, after a Death Eater had entered him into it.  
  
"Oh.okay, I'll do that." She replied, "Oh Sirius, I've been so worried about him, especially after last year.If Pettigrew can get inside the castle, I wish there was something I could do!" The year before, Harry had to go through something that most people couldn't even imagine surviving through. Harry had survived, although he was still scarred by it.  
  
"Hermione, just stay alert."  
  
Then the thought came to her, "Sirius! Can you teach me to become an Animagi?"  
  
He sighed, then almost tripping over a rock on the hill. "When James and I did that, we were being incredibly foolish. You do know that the transformations can go horribly wrong, even if it did help Remus, it was stupid."  
  
" How can you say that when becoming one saved your life. And, I would be doing it for Harry." Her voice softened. " Sirius, I wouldn't be able to stand it if Harry had to go through anything.more, and if becoming and Animagi could help prevent that.please?"  
  
" It's terribly difficult, we had to study for almost three years before we could do it." Remembering ho he and James spent all those late nights practically risking their lives, and Dumbledore's trust, made Sirius realize that it would take a lot of effort on Hermione's part to do this.  
  
" Ah, yes, but you forget you you're talking too. And with your help, I bet I'd be able to do it a lot faster."  
  
Yeah, and I wouldn't have to drag Pettigrew behind us. Sirius thought. He chuckled, "Alright, alright, but we'll talk about it later. We do need to talk to Dumbledore, now."  
  
Hermione stopped jogging and hugged him. " Oh thank you! If this could help Harry.you don't know how much this means to me."  
  
Oh dear, what am I doing.and getting myself into? She thought as she was hugging Sirius, feeling his warm arms on her back.  
  
They were soon on the dirt road back to Hogwarts, nearing the boarders of the grounds.  
  
" Do you think we should go under the Cloak?" asked Hermione, " If Hagrid looks out his window and sees either of us, we'd be into major trouble. Oh, never mind, it'd be easier if you'd just transform, right?"  
  
" No, lets go under the cloak, but lets hurry." He took the cloak and put it fully over himself and Hermione. "I haven't been under this for ages.tell me what you saw again?"  
  
" Pettigrew coming on the off the map." She said, worriedly.  
  
" Okay, this could mean one of two things. One, he's trying to spy for Voldemort."  
  
" And two," cut in Hermione, " he's going to try and lure Harry out of the school, then catch him, and take him right to Voldemort." " Exactly." Said Sirius, impressed. " Quite a mind you've got there Ms. Granger." " Thanks," she replied, blushing. " I just wish everybody else would think that too." " They do." " Yeah, about school stuff." She said solemnly, " I mean I knew you sent the Firebolt, didn't I?" " Yes, but I didn't curse it, did I?" he said jokingly. She giggled. She's so cute when she. NO STOP. YOU'RE NEARLY TWENTY YEARS OLDER THAN SHE IS! He yelled to himself. They opened the huge oak doors and had to be quiet the rest of the way. Soon, they were facing the Gargoyle in front of Dumbledore's office. " Umm." Hermione didn't know the password. " Peppermint Toad." Said Sirius to the Gargoyle. Seeing the look on Hermione's face, he said, " He lets me know the passwords, incase of emergencies, such as this." They walked up the stairs and into the round office. 


	3. Snape's Prediction

**a/n: OK first of all, I want to thank the 5 people who reviewed as of 7:03 PM on September 6, 2002. You got me out of bed and typing the rest of this on Word. Thanks. Also, I don't own HP, if I did, my name would be JK Rowling and I would be considered by many as a genius. But my name is Hermione G. Potter and I am only considered a genius by very few.  
  
When they opened the door, and stepped into the tinkling round office, the fire was only glowing in the ashes and Fawkes' perch was also deserted.  
  
"Incendio." Said Sirius, rather uncomfortable about being in the office without Dumbledore being there. Once again, a healthy fire was lit in the fireplace and no sooner than he had done that, Professor Dumbledore appeared in it, wiped off the ashes on this night robes, midnight blue with revolving planets, and said,  
  
" Sirius, what happened?" He looked extremely concerned. He walked around his desk to his chair and sat down. He motioned for Hermione and Sirius to do the same. However, Hermione found herself unable to sit and severely gripped the back of the chair.  
  
"Professor, Pettigrew, on Harry's map, he was on the grounds and then ran back off again." Said Hermione weakly. She hoped that Professor Dumbledore wasn't going to ask how she and Sirius both were there and why they were both nearly out of breath. Luckily, he didn't. Dumbledore sighed. Once again, he looked old and feeble in the light of the fire.  
  
" I was afraid of this," he began, " Two main options. One, he's here, spying for Voldemort. Two, he's trying to lead Mr. Potter out of the school to,"  
  
" Lead him to Voldemort." Both Sirius and Hermione said together, both looking into their laps. Sirius was disgusted with the slime that used to be one of his friends. He killed his best friend and his wife, then framed him and sent him to Azkaban for twelve horrible years. Hermione was worried about Harry. There was something different this year, he wasn't just her friend who happened to be the famous Boy Who Lived. He was now, what she couldn't really put her finger on it, but he was actually handsome.  
  
" I see that you two have thought this out." Said Professor Dumbledore, his eyes only shining for a moment. He cleared his throat. " I believe that we should inform Mr. Potter."  
  
" I'll get him." Hermione said, finally letting go of the chair, and she ran back into the corridor. No sooner than she sprinted around a corner, that she ran headlong into Professor Snape.  
  
"Granger!" He hissed, although during the past few months, he had become much more civil to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, even at times friendly, as friendly as Snape could get, he still didn't approve of students being out of the beds after hours.  
  
" Professor! Pettigrew! On the grounds, tonight, Dumbledore's in his office with- ummm, I'm getting Harry." She said breathlessly, hoping that he would believer her. He nodded curtly, quickly turned around, and ran towards Dumbledore's office, his cloak sweeping once again behind him.  
  
Hermione continued to run all the way to Gryffindor tower, gave the password to the Fat Lady, (" What's the hurry dear?") and dashed up to the boy's dormitories. She ran over to Harry's bed and shook him awake.  
  
" Harry!" she said as he groggily looks up at her.  
  
" Hermione, it's 2:00 in the morning. If this is about that-"  
  
" Harry, on the map, it was, Dumbledore's asking for you, in his office,"  
  
" Whacha talking 'bout 'Mione?" he said, searching for his glasses on his bedside table. The other occupants of the dormitory were now up also, looking at Hermione as though she had grown an extra head.  
  
" Pettigrew!" she whispered shrilly. Harry suddenly looked much more awake and Ron sprang up and was now standing next to Hermione. He still took it personally that he had been deceived by Pettigrew and kept him as a pet, as it had been his fault.  
  
" Come on!" The three of them ran out of the room and back down the stairs.  
  
" It's always the three of them, isn't it?" yawned Seamus as the door clicked behind them, lying back into his pillow.  
  
The trio then ran back downstairs, all knowing the way to Dumbledore's office quite well, and while they were running, Hermione explained what had happened.  
  
" When I looked at the map tonight, Pettigrew showed up onto it. Dumbledore wants to see you." It was becoming increasingly difficult for Hermione to talk, due to all the running she was doing. They stopped at the gargoyle, Hermione gave the password, and they all came into Dumbledore's office.  
  
" Sirius!" exclaimed Harry, " Wh-" Sirius held up his hand to silence him. Dumbledore motioned for them to sit down. Snape was sitting next to Sirius with a very strange expression on his face.  
  
" Harry, I'm sure that Ms. Granger has informed you both on what has occurred on the grounds here tonight." Harry and Ron nodded their heads. " I have just informed Professor Snape, as so, I was just getting to explain why he is most likely here. One, and most obvious, he's spying for Voldemort. Two, he's going to try and lure you," motioning to Harry, "out of the school, so Voldemort can have another chance at you."  
  
" Or three," said Professor Snape, his eyes shining malevolently, " he's going to try to lure Weasley out of the castle, get Potter to follow him, and kill them both." Everyone turned to look at him. "Headmaster, why would Voldemort try and get lowly, powerless, Pettigrew to get protected, loved, Harry Potter, when he knows that all he would have to do is get Potter's best friend out, catch him, let Potter know, and he would go parading out on another one of his heroic quests. Then it would give Voldemort the perfect opportunity to get him." Ron was now looking extremely pale, and a mild shade of green. 


	4. Revelations in the Common Room

The only things still making noise in the office were the silver gadgets in the cabinet tinkering away.  
  
" So." he finally said, " I take it that going out of the castle is out of the question."  
  
"Well not necessarily," said Professor Dumbledore, " If you are to be out of the castle, there is going to be someone with you, preferably a teacher." He then turned to look at Sirius. " I hear the school is in need of a new watch dog. Would you mind Sirius?"  
  
" Oh, no of course not, but I have to take care of Buckbeak."  
  
" For heaven sakes," said Snape, turning to Harry, " You got him off as well?" Harry grinned and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
" However Mr. Weasley, if you plan on attending any Hogsmeade trips, I'm sure we'd all feel more comfortable if a teacher accompany you." Harry, Hermione, and Ron all sighed. " Alright," he said rolling his eyes at Harry, "I'm sure whoever it is will love spending time at Zonko's." Snape grimaced, which caused everyone to laugh.  
  
" Well I suggest that you three try and get some sleep. Severus, Sirius? A word tomorrow please." Everyone took that as their cue to leave and before they left through the door, " Remember to be careful you three." Said Dumbledore, they nodded and left.  
  
As they walked the familiar way back up to Gryffindor Tower, Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed rather taken back at the night's events.  
  
" Ron, I'm really sorry about all this." Harry said with his hands in the pockets of his pajamas.  
  
" Sorry for what?" Ron expected there to be something slimy in the bed when they got back  
  
" You know, it's all my fault that you're now a target as much as I am. I mean, if you weren't my friend, none of this would have happened. You too Hermione, who knows what they have in store for you." He rolled his eyes, looking decidedly more depressed.  
  
" Oh Harry, none of this is your fault, and I know that you know that." Hermione said as they walked through the hole to the common room. He shrugged his shoulders. He rolled his eyes again; Hermione walked over and stood next to him.  
  
" I'm going up to bed." Said Ron, eyeing the two. " I'll see you both tomorrow, 'night."  
  
" Goodnight Ron." Harry and Hermione said together. They turned to look at each other. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione cut him off.  
  
" Harry, I just, wouldn't be able to stand it, if anything more happened to you. Anything at all, just promise me you wouldn't do anything dangerous if you see him." She went down to sit on the couch. Her legs needed a rest after all the exercise she got tonight.  
  
" You know I don't go looking for these things to happen to me," he said sitting down next to her, " And I'm not nearly worried about myself as I am about you, and Ron" he added quickly. " I can't see why you are so worried. We have practically the entire staff being our babysitters now."  
  
" Last year, you were protected last year too, and look what happened." A tear slid down her cheek. " I can't sleep sometimes because of what had happened, to you." He wiped the tear off of her cheek.  
  
" I, I didn't know that." He said, his hand still on her cheek.  
  
" The teachers have enough trouble dealing with other issues concerning this." Since the Triwizard Tournament, Harry has lost sleep feeling his scar burn. " I don't want to be a burden being Potter's little friend who is worried about him."  
  
" Why didn't you tell me, I could have a friend to spend all those nights in here with." When Harry couldn't sleep, he spent the time in the common room, watching the fire and brooding over what was happening in the outside world. Hermione laid back and put her head in Harry's lap. He started to stroke her hair.  
  
" You do now." Was all she said, and they spent the rest of the night talking about what might come. 


	5. UPDATE! MUHAHAHA

Hey, thanks for all the reviews guys.and Ginny Riddle, yes, you are correct. That chapter was EXTREAMLY rushed. But that's what happens when you are supposed to be paying attention in math class and you have already finished the weeks assignment, hey, theres a reason my friends call me Hermione. And I will be redoing it when I have the time, **I hate all the work I have to do, well not really, it just takes too much time** so I'll put up Ch 5, then redo Ch 4. Thanks, so what im gonna do, is post this, and then write CH 5. TTYL 


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